NTSB Safety Recommendation P-99-009

NTSB safety recommendation P-99-009.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE DIRECTIONAL CROSSING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION: INFORM YOUR MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE 7/21/97, PIPELINE RUPTURE AND FIRE IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AND PROVIDE THEM WITH RECOMMENDED SAFE PRACTICES TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO EXISTING UNDERGROUND GAS PIPELINE FACILITIES DURING DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1999-04-28

Adopted Date: 1999-04-20

Overall Date Closed: 2004-03-05

Synopsis: ABOUT 2:33 P.M. ON 7/21/97, A 20-INCH-DIAMETER STEEL NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINE OWNED AND OPERATED BY CITIZENS GAS AND COKE UTILITY COMPANY (CITIZENS GAS) RUPTURED AND RELEASED NATURAL GAS NEAR AN INTERSECTION ADJOINING THE CHARTER POINTE SUBDIVISION IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN. THE GAS IGNITED AND BURNED, KILLING ONE RESIDENT AND INJURING ANOTHER. ABOUT 75 RESIDENTS REQUIRED TEMPORARY SHELTER. SIX HOMES WERE DESTROYED, AND ABOUT 65 OTHERS SUSTAINED DAMAGE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO BE DOCUMENTED BY THE LOCAL INVESTIGATON TEAM.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of Citizens Gas and Miller to have adequate controls in place to ensure that directional drilling operations carried out in the proximity of existing underground facilities would not cause damage to those facilities.

Ntsbnumber: DCA97FP005

Report Number: PAB-99-02

Addressee Name: Directional Crossing Contractors Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2004-03-05

Addressee Acronym: DCCA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2004-01-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 1/14/2004 11:18:13 AM MC# 2040021 Jeff Hampshire, DCCA Coordinator (972.386.9545) wrote 'This email is to let you know that to the best of our knowledge, the DCCA did not give a specific talk or panel discussion on the accident mentioned in this email. However, the DCCA is actively involved in on going training as it relates to safety. We have published on our own five topics relating to the industry. In addition, in April 2000, a consortium (HDD Consortium) of which, we are a member, produced a book called Horizontal Directional Drilling Good Practices Guidelines. An entire chapter was devoted to job site safety. I hope that this helps answer your question. Should there be anything else needed, please contact me. Visit our website at www.dcca.org.

Addressee Acronym: DCCA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2003-12-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Contacted Jeff Hampshire, Coordinator for Directional Crossing Contractors Association (DCCA). Mr. Hampshire is fairly new to the org, but is willing to followup. Stated that the Coordinator position had been vacant for some time before his recent arrival, and that was probably why we had not received a response. On 14 Dec 2003 I emailed him the accident summary and the recommendation. Waiting for his response.

Addressee Acronym: DCCA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2002-07-26

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Board's goal in issuing this recommendation was to have information on the events surrounding the July 21, 1997, accident disseminated as widely as possible to pipeline system operators and pipeline contractors regarding the need to exercise safe practices to prevent damage to existing pipelines during nearby directional drilling operations. While we believe that most operators and contractors do exercise safe practices, we also believe that a reminder, particularly one detailing the circumstances of a fatal accident, is helpful. On April 13, 2001, the Safety Board inquired whether the DCCA had taken the action requested in Safety Recommendation P-99-9. Because the Board has not received a response from the DCCA, we do not know whether our goal in issuing this recommendation was ever achieved. With that in mind, we have prepared the enclosed article that we request be included in the publication that has the widest distribution to your membership, if the DCCA has not already done so. Although the accident is more than 5 years old, we believe that the issues associated with this accident are still pertinent today and may be of interest to your association and its members. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the published article or being informed if an article was previously published. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Pending your response, the recommendation remains classified "Open--Await Response."

Addressee Acronym: DCCA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2004-03-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board understands from Mr. Jeff Hampshire's January 9, 2004, e-mail that while the DCCA did not give a specific talk or have a panel discussion on the subject accident, DCCA has published articles on its Web site on the subject of safe practices in directional drilling. In addition, in April 2000, the Horizontal Directional Drilling Consortium, of which the DCCA is a member, produced a book called Horizontal Directional Drilling-Good Practices Guidelines, which has an entire chapter devoted to job site safety. Accordingly, because the DCCA has satisfied the intent of the recommendation, Safety Recommendation P-99-9 is classified "Closed--Acceptable Action."

Addressee Acronym: DCCA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-04-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: TO DATE, THE SAFETY BOARD HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY ACTION TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT P-99-9, AND THE BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING OF ANY ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION. PLEASE ADDRESS YOUR RESPONSE TO MS. CAROL J. CARMODY, ACTING CHAIRMAN, AND REFERENCE THE SAFETY RECOMMENDATION NUMBER.